


Hell-raiser

by Nejinee



Category: Captain America (Movies)
Genre: Arguing, Domestic Avengers, Established Relationship, Fluff, Fluff and Humor, Hand Jobs, Humor, M/M, Post-Captain America: The Winter Soldier, Power Couple
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-08-21
Updated: 2016-08-21
Packaged: 2018-08-10 06:32:11
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,206
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7833949
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Nejinee/pseuds/Nejinee
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>If you said Steve Rogers has the scariest boyfriend on the planet, most of the Avengers would agree with you. Not all of them, but most of them.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Hell-raiser

They’ve talked about this before, the Avengers, and they never quite know what the real issue is.

Tony gets really fired up about it, especially when he’s got some whiskey and rye in him. He sometimes goes on and on about how messed up it is that someone as clearly dead inside as Barnes, gets all of Cap’s attention 95% of the time.

“What’s the other 5%?” Clint asked once.

“Sleep. Captain America has to sleep sometimes, though he’s probably devoting all that REM to Barnes anyway. Skipping through the prairies, or whatever it is old people dream about.” This conversation always makes Tony roll his eyes wildly.

Natasha says it doesn’t matter, not really. “Steve’s good at what he does. It’s not like Barnes is any worse. He holds his own probably better than Steve.”

“You’re missing the point here,” Tony gets in. “We’re all basically expendable in comparison to Cap’s terrifying death-machine boyfriend.”

This usually ends in more arguing and getting more tipsy and more unmanageable until Pepper comes along and boots Tony to bed, or worse, an early morning news conference where he has to pretend he isn’t an alcoholic night owl with a screwdriver.

They never say this to Steve, of course. No one, _no one_ , can handle the patriotic puppy eyes. And they wouldn’t dare talk about this in front of Barnes (most of them have a decent amount of respect for his murder-glare). So they dance around it, arguing forever about the validity of Tony’s jealousy (Wanda says) or the sincerity of his concerns (Rhodey).

 

Either way, the two Brooklyn boys clearly have the Avengers split down the middle on the topic of whether Barnes is worth the extraeffort.

 

—

 

Sometimes the rest of them wonder what the hell goes on in Barnes’s brain during de-briefings. Sure, they’re not the most exciting, or challenging parts of a mission, but they’re pretty damn necessary.

Usually, the Winter Soldier just slouches in his seat, glaring at the wall behind Fury. He contributes very little most days, which the rest of them don’t mind, as it makes the meetings _much_ shorter. When he _does_ open his mouth though, hoo-boy, they all just wanna crawl into separate holes and _die._

“Rogers did a fine job of cleaning out that hidden bunker,” Natasha said. “Probably would have been a bit of a scare if those guys had made it out and found us.”

“Yeah, thanks, Cap,” Clint snapped, finger guns pointed at Steve. “Saved our golden buns, you did.”

“Guess that’s why he’s the Captain,” Sam smirked.

“Captain _Dumbass_ ,” a dark voice piped up from the back.

Sam’s gaze caught Clint’s and they both looked a little extra stricken all of a sudden.

Steve rolled his eyes and swivelled around. He swiped his hand at Bucky’s dirty great boots on the glass countertop. “Feet off the table.”

Bucky glared at him, dusty black paint still smudged around his eyes. If there was ever a physical embodiment of the word _NO_ , it would be Bucky Barnes.

“Care to elaborate, Barnes?” Fury sighed, “Or are you just reciting slam poetry, one line at a time?”

“Yeah, actually, I _will_ elaborate,” Bucky sat up, pulling his feet down, “you’re all going on about how great of a _Captain_ he is, but did any of you see _how_ he busted that bunker down? No, because none of you were there. He threw himself through _the window_.”

Clint frowned, “Yeah, but it’s, like, an _underground_ bunker. Where moles and rats live.”

“Four storeys deep!” Barnes barked. “This moron almost broke _his neck_ , falling on some guy working _at a desk_ , fifty feet down, for God’s sake. They didn’t even know we were coming! We could have just ambushed ‘em like normals, but this fuckin’–“

“Hey,” Steve interjected. “It worked out, didn’t it?”

“Listen here, you reckless, hulking, stupid, sonofa–“ Bucky all but hissed.

“Boys,” Natasha cut in. She looked at Bucky, then raised one arched brow. “Are you really surprised, though?”

“He’s an idiot,” Bucky huffed, folding his arms.

“Well, _yeah_ ,” Natasha rolled her eyes and Steve’s face went all pouty and affronted.

“ _Hey_ –“

“–but you saved his ass, right, Barnes?” Natasha finished.

“Excuse _you_ , I _do not_ need–“ Steve interjected.

“Of course I did,” Bucky huffed haughtily, as if Steve wasn’t even there. “Fuckin’ idiot. Can’t take him anywhere. Gets lost in a bathroom stall.”

Steve turned forward again and folded his arms gruffly, face a little tighter than before. 

Sam’s phone buzzed and he slid it into his lap.

Clint’s message showed an emoji of the american flag, then a frowny face. 

Sam smirked and tapped back with the knife emoji and the crying face.

Clint snorted loudly and Natasha kicked him under the table.

Hill and Fury glanced at one another, the tired caretakers of this kindergarten class.

 

—

 

“Man, he kinda does get away with blue murder,” Clint hummed to Sam as they made their way across the rooftop helipad. He  hefted the large bag on his shoulder higher. " I mean, ’s not like anyone’s gonna stop the guy.”

“True,” Sam nodded. “Man does have a bionic weapon for an arm.”

 

* * *

 

Covert missions are the worst. Bucky hates them. 

“Hey, we’re only gone for four weeks,” Natasha said, shoving her bag aboard the helicopter.

“Yeah,” Bucky mumbles, face dark. He stared at his cellphone, flipping it slowly through his fingers. The screen was dark. This was the worst part. No communication allowed.

To ensure no tracking and no surveillance of any tech that could give them away, he and Nat have to shut down all their devices and basically start anew. They can’t even use Starkphones in case the enemy recognizes the American gadgets.

“Last time was almost eight, so thank your lucky stars,” Natasha murmured not unkindly.

Bucky just sighed and slipped his phone into one of the secret pockets sewn into his vest. He’d be changing once they arrived, so he’d only have access to it when they came home. In _four weeks._

_God._ He wanted to rip his hair out.

“All packed!” Clint yelled from inside the Helicopter. “Hey, Cap! Come to see us off?”

Bucky looked up and there was Steve in jeans, sneakers and a grey-blue tee, clearly ready to lounge on the sofa and not be _with Bucky_ for four weeks. Sam was beside him, also relegated to slouch duty.

“This fucking sucks,” Bucky murmured softly, knowing only Steve would catch it. When Steve was close enough, he smiled.

“I know, Buck,” he sighed, arms immediately coming up and around to pull Bucky into an embrace. “But you’ll be with Nat, right?”

Bucky just grumbled into a warm shoulder. He turned his face against Steve’s neck. He pressed his lips there. Steve’s pulse was strong and steady.

Steve rumbled.

They tended to keep any public displays of affection to the bare minimum, but it was tough. 

When Steve pulled back, his expression was soft.

“Don’t do anything stupid,” Bucky grumbled, stepping back, though every part of him wanted to crawl back into Steve’s warmth. Steve smiled. “I’m serious,” Bucky growled. “If I come back and find out you’ve been jumping outta planes or diving into the fucking shark-infested ocean at midnight, I’ll be so pissed, Rogers.”

Steve just laughed and came in for a kiss. Okay, so there was a little tongue action, nobody died.

“ _So_ pissed,” Bucky huffed again.

“You gotta get going,” Steve whispered, clearly not ready to let Bucky go, judging by the grip on Bucky’s waist.

“We really do, lovebirds,” Natasha said. “Sorry.”

Steve sighed and gave Bucky a sappy kiss on the forehead, like he was sending his kid off to school.

Bucky scowled and stepped back. Then he smirked and came in close, lips hovering near Steve’s ear.

“When I get back, I’m gonna strip you down and work you over real good, yeah?”

Steve couldn’t have been redder. He cleared his throat. “ _Bucky,”_ he hissed, but seemed pleased nonetheless.

God, now Bucky had to ride in a helicopter with a semi and no one to deal with it. _Great._

 

—

 

 

Four weeks. Four fucking weeks in the cold, frozen Goddamn tundra wasteland that was Russia. Bucky was tired and dirty, and his neck was aching something fierce, but they were almost home. Natasha didn’t look much better, her hand wrapped up and resting on her thigh.

They’d done a decent job infiltrating the soviet side of Hydra. They hadn’t needed to take too long about it, but it had to be done right. There wasn’t much more intel available to gather, but at least Bucky could sleep easy knowing he’d destroyed a couple hundred more weapons of mass destruction.

“You look like shit,” Natasha murmured, head rolling to look at him. 

Bucky smirked, “You sweet-talkin’ me?”

Natasha laughed, “Wouldn’t dream of it, Barnes. Heard you got yourself something sweeter.”

Bucky grinned, the thought of Steve almost all-consuming. “Yeah, some _one_.”

“He cute?” Natasha smiled, playing along.

“Very,” Bucky nodded, exhaustion seeping through every cell of his body. “Biggest blue eyes you’ve ever seen. Dumbest, prettiest face and an ass–my _God–_ that _ass._ ” Bucky groaned and leaned back, eyes closing.

“Missed him, huh?” Natasha giggled, which was so unlike her. 

Bucky just groaned some more.

“All right!” Clint hollered from the cockpit. “American airspace. Boot up, kiddos!”

Bucky frowned, but saw Natasha pull out her fancy Starkphone. He sat up. _Finally!_

He dug around in the satchel he’d left on the helicopter when they’d arrived in Omsk. His vest was still safe inside, but more importantly…

He yanked out his cellphone and flipped it on. Natasha helped him hook up the extra power charger she had on hand. What a miracle the twenty-first century was. The fact he could send a message to Steve Rogers from almost ten thousand feet in the air was nothing short of sorcery.

“Tell me your first text wasn’t something filthy,” Natasha murmured from beside him. She was probably uploading data files directly to Hill already.

Bucky smirked as he tapped ‘send’. He eyed her. “How very dare you,” he murmured.

Natasha sighed, “You are so predictable, Barnes.”

Bucky just grinned and showed her his screen. 

 

 

> **To: Steve**
> 
> _hey sweetcheeks. miss me?_

 

She read it, then smiled. “You old softy,” she sighed.

Bucky laughed, his first in weeks. Then his phone buzzed and his heart leapt. It was a picture. He yanked it away before Nat got a good look.

She sighed audibly. “Sexting already?”

Bucky’s smile was close-lipped, but a mile wide. He looked down at his phone, dirty hair falling into his face and he seemed almost boy-like, more innocent. And to think he was a world-renowned assassin with more high-profile kills than any other operative in living history, yet he got all goofy for his best friend.

“You mind your business,” he murmured, flicking through what appeared to be another picture.

Nat leaned closer. “But seriously, if it is Captain America’s ass or anything, I think the world deserves to know. Or at least I do.”

Bucky pulled away. “Stop it.”

She grinned and pulled back. “It isn’t, is it?”

Bucky seemed more affronted by the insinuation that he and Steve _weren’t_ exchanging dirty pictures than the possible alternative.

“You shut your face, Romanov.”

So what if the pictures were of Steve’s grinning face, his hair lit by the bright morning sunshine behind him, haloed like the angel he was? So _what_?

 

* * *

 

Bucky and Natasha looked like hell. That’s all Steve could think when he met them on the helipad.

He was just so _jazzed_ to see Bucky, he didn’t mind the stench that came off him.

“Shower?” Steve murmured heavily, hungrily.

Bucky just grunted back. “Hell yes.”

 

–

 

Okay, so Steve had forgotten about the bruise. Rookie mistake, but he’d been _excited!_ His Bucky was back! And he was naked and there was a shower and oh god, the bruise!

“The HELL is that?” Bucky stopped stroking his hands over Steve’s wet torso, lips abandoning their post at his collarbone.

“Um,” Steve said, biting his lip. He wrapped both arms around Bucky’s neck, pressing their chests together.

But Bucky wasn’t gonna be distracted. Even if he was butt naked, standing with his very restless, very needy boyfriend in their private shower, nothing was going to distract Bucky Barnes.

Fingers pressed to Steve’s ribs and he winced. Bucky pushed and shoved, turned him around. Steve protested weakly when Bucky pushed him, chest first, against the cold tile. Again, he felt fingers splayed across his back and ribs, right where the massive bruise wrapped around him.

“Is that a fuckin’ _boot print_ ,” Bucky said hollowly. 

Oh Lord.

“Buck, it’s okay, it doesn’t really– _ouch_!” 

Bucky glared daggers. 

“Doesn’t hurt? Fuckin’ liar. Where’d you get this? What did I say, Rogers?” Bucky gently pressed his hand over the rapidly healing bruise. All Steve could think was how grateful he was for the serum, ‘cos if Bucky was pissed about _this_ bruise, he’d have been _homicidal_ at the sight of Steve four days ago.

“Um, well, Sam and I had a, uh, problem in Queens. Nothing too big. We settled it in a few hours.”

“Queens,” Bucky said slowly, carefully. If Steve wasn’t half turned on and naked, he might have shivered.

Steve turned about, back now flush with the wall. He braced his legs a little, laid out the welcoming mat.

“Yeah, you know, some roughnecks causing trouble. I was just in the wrong place there for a second. You know how it goes.” He chuckled, trying to offset Bucky’s rage.

“Roughnecks,” Bucky growled, leaning in, stepping into the V of Steve’s legs. _Oh boy._

A large, rough hand wrapped around Steve and he gasped weakly. He was hard as granite and Bucky was _touching_ him and _hell_ , he wasn’t gonna last long at this rate.

Bucky’s hand jacked him slowly, those pale eyes not leaving Steve’s face for a second, as if he could play Steve like a violin, all focus and experience. Steve whimpered and put both hands on Bucky’s shoulders. “Yeah,” he whispered as the water beat down on them.

With Bucky’s hair wet and dark and pushed back from his face, it left his annoyed expression as the one focal point for Steve’s eyes. Bucky was scowling.

But his hand kept _moving_ and sometimes he _confused_ Steve but, _oh God,_ it didn’t _matter!_

“You must think I’m dumb as dirt, Rogers,” Bucky growled, leaning in to nip at Steve’s chin. His hand did the _twist_ thing and Steve’s knees almost buckled as his climax rippled over him, quick as that. Five minutes, that’s all it takes for Bucky Barnes to wring him out.

Steve shivered and held on for balance. “I’m s-sorry,” he mumbled, eyes rolling back a bit. 

“That fuckin’ Parker,” Bucky growled again, licking at Steve’s neck, pressing his own dick into Steve’s hip. “Fuckin’ causing shit again.”

Steve just hummed and wrapped his arms around Bucky’s neck, pulling him in close as Bucky proceeded to rub himself against Steve’s wet skin. When he did come, Bucky was already latched onto Steve’s lips, moaning hoarsely, pent-up and exhausted as he was. 

 

* * *

 

“ _Captain_ ,” Peter breathed, not really in control of his awe-reflex. But it was _Steve Rogers_. “I uh, wanted to come by and thank you, again.” He knew his own eyes were round as saucers. “For what you did, I mean. I couldn’t have done it without you. My aunt made you peanut clusters, if you like peanut clusters. Everyone does, right? Anyway, I left them in the kitchen. You _really_ are a hero. To me. And Also, of course to _America_ , but to me mostly. Ha _ha_.”Peter was going to _choke_.

And in his standard, perfect, American Glory, Captain America just smiled and patted Peter on the shoulder, like they were colleagues, or even _friends(!!!)._

“It’s no problem. You know you can just call, right?” He smiled with those perfect white teeth in that perfectly symmetrical face.

“Yes sir,” Peter breathed out.

“I don’t really want to see it on the news first,” Steve said wanly with a wry smile.

Then the Captain moved aside, leaving a trail of sparkle-clouds and unicorns in his wake. This was totally going on his blog, Peter made a note of it.

Then someone moved in to his periphery, casting a shadow over Captain America’s glorious presence.

“Oh, Sergeant _Barnes_ ,” Peter squeaked out. “How are you? I thought you were in Latvia. Russia? Or Mongolia? I probably should have listened, ‘cos I don’t remember. Ha ha, _hello!_ ”

The Winter Soldier stood there, all six-foot whatever of solid muscle and leather and an angry frowny face. Oh no, the _frowny_ face.

James Barnes _terrified_ Peter.

He legitimately did. Sure, he was a national war hero who went down in history with glory and sacrifice painted over his empty casket. And yes, it turned out he was _also_ an unreal ghost-like assassin that could kill a man from two miles away with, like, one hand tied behind his back and probably both eyes closed. And _yes_ , he’d been brainwashed and treated like shit for most of a century, only to come out of it in one piece and reunited with his childhood best friend, _Captain America_. So technically, Peter was more in awe of James Barnes. But he was a smart kid, so he was also obviously _mortally terrified_ of James Barnes.

Barnes was so scary in person, Peter was surprised he’d never actually wet himself in the presence of the Winter Soldier.

How this guy was best friends with Captain America (greatness,sunshine and light) was beyond him.

Though he also kind of had a sneaky suspicion they weren’t _just_ friends. Peter Parker paid attention.

“You little shit,” James Barnes said. As informal greetings go, _not bad_. “How many times you gonna get yourself screwed over and have someone come bail you out?”

“Bucky!” Captain America snapped from the kitchen, head popping around the corner.

“What did I tell you?” Barnes continued, unfazed. “Last time?”

Peter kinda wanted to scuff his toe into the floor. “Uh, you said, uh, -“

“About poking your head into dangerous shit?” Bucky helped.

“You said, uh…” Peter’s face was heating up.

“To stop. Fuckin’. Doing it!”

“Bucky!”

“Shut up, Steve!”

Oh _LORD_ , James Barnes just told _Captain America_ to shut _up_! He was a _dangerous_ man! He was going to crush Peter’s head between his metal fingers.

“Don’t talk to him like that,” Captain America came back into the room, a hand towel in his fingers.

“He’s a menace,” Bucky scowled, eyeing Peter, and Peter, well, he _didn’t_ wet himself. Yet.

“I’m sorry,” Peter said. “I know, I know, I gotta learn to control my powers. But it’s just that, you know, the bad guys are everywhere! I can’t just let ‘em bully people.”

“Yes, you can,” Bucky added on. “You’re a kid. You get in shit and you’re out of your depth, then people like _this_ idiot,” _gasp,_ he jabbed a thumb at Captain America, “have to swoop in and clean up your mess and save your dumb ass from yourself. People get hurt all the time. Stay out of it.”

“Hey, it ain’t that easy, Buck,” Captain America said, coming to stand beside Peter. He smelled like freshly mown grass and a summer breeze wafting stoically through the American mid-West. “Give him a break, wouldja?” 

“You have a bruise the size of your head because of this dingus,” Bucky hissed.

Peter turned to blink up at Captain America. “From the truck?” he asked worriedly. “I knew that was gonna bruise, sir!”

The Captain's grin went kind of stiff and he patted Peter’s back a little firmly.

“Ha ha, no but really–“ Captain Rogers said.

_“Truck?”_

Peter heard the ice cracking over that word, like the Titanic slowly creaking, crashing into hell.

“There was… a _truck?_ ” Sergeant Barnes said slowly, frost covering every syllable. His face was like a mask. One of those demon masks with the scary black eyes. “ _You_ said a guy jumped you from behind.”

“He did!” Captain Rogers said, eyes wide.

“Yeah! With a truck,” Peter added in helpfully. “It was crazy! But the Captain, well, he was awesome. Taught that guy and his truck, ha ha, a thing or two. It’s a convertible now!”

The Captain’s fingers were kind of digging into Peter’s shoulder a bit. _Ow_ , actually.

“Parker,” Barnes said, voice soft and dry. It made Peter’s skin crawl.

“Yes sir, sergeant Barnes, sir?”

The Winter Soldier looked directly at him with those murder-burglar eyes. 

“Go. Home.”

Peter nodded hastily and tugged at his bag that he’d dropped at his feet. “Y-yes, sir.” He did some kind of half-assed salute ( _God,_ would the earth just swallow him up already?) before backing away from James Barnes. He slammed his shoulder into the edge of the doorway, spinning wildly, arm waving.

“Bye! Bye, I’m leaving. Nice to see you, sirs! Captain! Sergeant!” and before James Barnes could break his face, Peter Parker made a dash for freedom. “Enjoy the peanut clusters!”

 

* * *

 

“I think they’re fighting,” Clint whispered to Sam.

“They’re _always_ fighting,” Sam whispered back.

“No, but, like, for realsies,” Clint said. He cocked an arrow and let it fly. The Hydra agent fell silently.

“Nice,” Sam said softly.

They were staking out the old factory with barely any light to work with. Word was that there’s a hidden piece of Oscorp mecha tech inside.

“Barnes’ been a right peach all week.” Clint continued.

“Ain’t he always,” Sam snorted. “Two o’clock.” 

Clint nailed that agent swiftly.

“Nah, but this time’s different, I swear,” Clint whispered, hunkering down to face Sam. 

“They’ll get over it,” Sam murmured, tapping at his wrist.

“You ladies done gossiping?” 

Both Clint and Sam jumped.

“Natasha!” Sam hissed, trying to cover his embarrassment. 

She just smirked in the darkness, but he could see it. _Damn spies._

“Hey, you’d know,” Clint said, waving Natasha closer.

“We need to keep an eye out,” she said, crouched low like them.

Clint aimed over the low brick wall and fired off another arrow before turning back. His target barely wailed. “Are Barnes and Cap on the rocks?”

Natasha just stared at him.

“Is that a yes?”

“Man, they’re fine,” Sam hissed, waving his hand. Natasha looked at him.

“…No?” he wavered.

She shrugged.

“I swear, you spies,” Sam shook his head and turned back to radio in.

 

–

 

The roof had been completely blown off and the foundation was crumbling around them. Tony was holding the robot army at bay, almost impressed with their built-in tenacity. He blasted another one back, to pieces.

Clint was out of arrows, had been for an hour, so was now just hurtling rubble and rocks at the oncoming drugged and crazed scientists they’d discovered in the bowels of the building.

The floor rumbled again, threatening disaster.

“Man, I hope Cap’s down there and sorting this thing out!” Clint yelled, clocking a hydra clone with his elbow. He winced.

“Careful!” Wanda bellowed as a wall came crashing down on top of him. She held the rubble back, giving him an exit.

“Thanks,” he breathed heavily, falling to one knee. He was scraped and bleeding and _tired._

They all were.

“You need a lift out? You done?” Falcon said, landing neatly beside Clint.

“Naw, man, gotta wait for Cap, you know?”

“Yeah, well, it might take time. Best to get you out if you’re injured.” Falcon took his job seriously.

“We don’t have time,” Wanda said, zapping a robot in the general vicinity of where it should have a face. “The whole block is going to blow.”

“He’s taking too long!” Tony yelled from above, blue blasts erupting from his hands. Another ominous rumble shook the ground and Wanda wobbled. Sam yelped as more of the wall nearby came crashing down, throwing dust everywhere. The rumble wasn’t stopping. Everything shook and shuddered.

“We gotta go!” Sam said, gripping Clint’s elbow. “Wanda! Go get Natasha!”

“We can’t go!” Clint bellowed, resisting Sam’s hands. “Who’s gonna get Cap out? What if it completely–“

“Barnes is with him!” Sam bellowed back, rising into the air with Clint firmly grasped between his hands. Wanda was already across the site, helping Natasha obliterate a pile of robots.

“That doesn’t make me feel better!” Clint yelled.

Suddenly the earth shook and an explosion of light blew through the crumbling concrete they’d been standing on. Every sound was wiped out by the blast. Sam shuddered and stumbled mid-air. He landed heavily, Clint rolling beside him, swearing profusely.

Concrete was turned to dust and half of the Hydra scum fizzled into burnt nothingness.

More walls came thundering down, throwing even more brick dust into the air. 

“Damnit!” Sam yelled, getting to his feet.

“We’re fine here!” came Natasha’s voice through the dust cloud. “I’ve got Wanda!”

“And I got Hawkeye!” Sam bellowed back, wiping at his brow.

“No, really, I’m fine. Thanks for asking,” came Tony’s irate voice through the dust cloud. He came into view, shakily setting down nearby. “I swear, it’s like I’m completely invisible,” he muttered.

Clint had a retort ready when a loud crack drew their attention. In the centre of the rubble, a massive sheet of concrete shifted.

A loud thump was heard, then another. 

“Shit! Cap!” Clint scrambled up and made his way over.

“Careful!” Natasha yelled, she couldn’t even see him but she knew better.

A couple more thumps and the concrete cracked loudly. Like thunder had split it, the rubble blew into separate bits, shifted up and away, falling, tumbling down the mess of crevices and piles of robot parts below.

The dust was heavy and got into everything. Clint coughed as he scrambled over the mess.

“Cap! Barnes! You guys in there?”

Sounds of dirt underfoot and boots clomping.

“Ugh, you weigh a _ton,”_ came a dusty, tired voice.

“Fuck you,” came another, darker, angrier voice and Clint almost crowed with delight.

 

–

 

 

“So, five, ten minutes until the chopper’s here?” Natasha murmured to Tony.

He shrugged. “About.”

The two of them looked over and across the rubble. They could easily see Barnes and Rogers. Both men were standing about ten feet apart, arms waving, shouting themselves blue in the face.

“Ten bucks says they hug it out before the chopper gets here,” Natasha murmured.

“Twenty says we have to sit through the awkward breakup silence instead.” Tony responded.

“Ugh,” she rolled her eyes. “Don’t say that.”

“What? It’s gonna be _soooo_ awkward.”

“Hey, you okay?” Nat said, looking past Tony. He turned to find Hawkeye propped up against Sam Wilson.

“Eh,” Clint said, wiggling his palm. “Mostly just tired. It’s been a long day.”

“Yeah, well at least we ain’t in the middle of _that,_ ” Sam indicated Rogers and Barnes.

“Oh, they’ll be _fine_ ,” Clint waved it off. “They just gotta hash it out.”

“Man, Cap’s boyfriend is the angriest man alive,” Sam shook his head.

“You’re kidding, right?” Natasha said, folding her arms.

“Uh, would you look? He’s probably all torn up about Steve risking his stupid head in the name of freedom, again.” Sam waved his free hand in the general direction of the two super soldiers.

They were closer now, Steve’s index finger pointed directly at Barnes’s angry face.

Natasha snorted. “You guys are all idiots.”

A particularly loud bark had them all looking up. 

“You all think Rogers has the crazy jealous, angry and dangerous boyfriend.” She smirked when Steve approached Barnes, clearly still barking orders while Barnes stood his ground. “When it’s obviously the other way round.”

Steve shoved Barnes against a busted remnant of brickwork.

Clint’s eyebrows shot into his hairline.

Tony cleared his throat. “Um, okay.”

“Oh wow,” Sam winced and covered his eyes. Wanda and Natasha stood side by side and smirked.

“Did he just–“

“They’re _making out_?” Tony all but cried. “What is _wrong_ with them?”

“Oh,” Clint huffed, “Wow, well would you look at that.”

“Mmm-hmm,” Natasha smiled.

“Is that chopper ever gonna arrive?” Sam wailed. “I can’t watch this!”

“I guess whatever gets your rocks off,” Tony looked around for cheers on his superb wordplay. “Aaah? Rocks? Rubble? Get it–oh nevermind.”

“It’s actually kind of cute,” Wanda said. “Steve and James.”

“The chopper is never gonna get here, is it?” Sam said morosely.

 

–

 

Bucky’s back hit the wall and the sheer force behind it got his blood _searing._ He growled and lapped at Steve’s teeth and tugged at the stupid Captain America costume. Steve’s hands were pressed _everywhere_ , pulling, pushing, gripping.

“Drive me _insane_ ,” Steve was rumbling, tongue jammed in Bucky’s mouth.

“Shut up,” Bucky retorted. Steve responded with another shove and the bricks behind Bucky crumbled some more. 

Fuck, but if Steve’s strength wasn’t such a Goddamn turn-on.

“If you _ever–“_ Steve bit out, holding Bucky’s face still now, “Ever do something that stupid again,” he nipped at Bucky’s lower lip, “I swear, Bucky, I’ll fucking kill you myself.”

“Promises,” Bucky responded, hands slapping down to grip Steve by his ass.

“You could have _died_ ,” Steve huffed, warm breath across Bucky’s cheek and over his ear. Steve was pressing against him now, hugging Bucky close. He groaned when Bucky gripped tighter.

“Oh yeah?” Bucky pulled away, head hitting brick. “Tell that to yourself next time you wanna jump on a damn grenade.”

“That was seventy years ago!”

“Yeah!” Bucky yelled back, “It was!”

“You’re not even making sense,” Steve huffed, face dirty and hair in complete disarray. Where had the stupid Captain America cowl gone, anyway? Ah, who cared?

“You’re such a stupid punk,” Bucky growled, lips curling over Steve’s. 

“Mmmm,” Steve hummed, kissing Bucky once more, even as the blustering roar overhead indicated the arrival of their chopper.

 

–

 

The ride back was silent. Everyone was covered in a layer of dirt and looked very much worse for wear.

Tony leaned over a dozing Clint to whisper to Natasha.

“So, um, this is _awkward_.”

She cocked a brow at him. Then she nodded over at Barnes and Rogers. Tony rolled his eyes.

Bucky was sitting, arms folded, knees spread, staring at nothing as he’d been doing for the last forty minutes. Steve, on the other hand, was fast asleep, blonde hair a complete mess, head lolling against Bucky’s shoulder. Both of them were dirty as hell and it was adorably sickening.

Tony sighed. “Fine. We break even.”

 

* * *

 

 

Steve loved waking up with a grouchy Bucky Barnes wrapped around him.

It was dark still, so they didn’t have to get up any time soon. 

They’d practically torn the clothes off one another a few hours earlier, then promptly fallen into a death-like slumber.

Bucky burned hot against him, the other man draped across Steve’s chest, face pressed against his neck, like always. Steve gently stroked Bucky’s hair with the hand that had flopped against Bucky’s pillow, arm locked under Bucky’sneck.

When he slept, Bucky looked like nothing more than a handsome, sweet young man. Steve chuckled quietly to himself at the thought.

“My little hell-raiser,” he murmured into Bucky’s hair.

Bucky shifted, warm breath ghosting over Steve’s neck. He huffed.

“… _idiot_ ,” he slurred and that only made Steve smile wider.

**Author's Note:**

> Hello! If you've reached this, thank you for reading! :-)  
> I just want to say that the Captain America fandom is wonderful! I've never seen such a great response as I have in this fandom. So thanks y'all! Such dedication to these two FOOLS in LOVE.
> 
> I love you. <3 (Was that too much? Too much, too much. Okay, I'll ... i'll just go ...)


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